


D is for Demons and Defeating the MiraGen

by miss_liding



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Demon AU, M/M, or something like that, pre-mayukuro, pure self-gratification fic tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4314615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_liding/pseuds/miss_liding
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because obviously the most logical thing to do when you want to defeat your ex-teammates is to summon a demon. AU.</p><blockquote>
  <p>“A bunch of kids? If you want to defeat them, why can’t you just get a gun-”</p>
  <p>“I mean using basketball.”</p>
  <p>“Okay, let me get this straight.” The demon rubbed his forehead. “You summoned a potentially extremely dangerous creature to make a high-stakes bargain with, so that they could train you in basketball.”</p>
</blockquote>
            </blockquote>





	1. D is for Demons and Defeating the MiraGen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Crossposted from tumblr](http://basketballpoetsociety.tumblr.com/post/110974848833/challenge-no-111-d-is-for-demons-and-defeating). Originally submitted for Rare Pair Battle on BPS.

 Summoning a demon was surprisingly anticlimactic for the effort it took. From within the glowing ring of mystic symbols, the figure of a man (were those… sweatpants?) slowly flickered into existence.

“You’re not what I expected,” Kuroko blurted, before remembering he was trying to keep a calm and collected façade.

The demon in the middle of the circle of light tilted his head. “I can’t say you’re what I expected either. You’re what, twelve? Thirteen?” Carefully avoiding the barrier of light, he leaned over and squinted at the digital clock on Kuroko’s desk. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

This wasn’t going the way Kuroko had imagined. “My age doesn’t matter,” he said. “And I thought— I intended to summon someone with more presence.”

“Yeah, you were about to. But I jumped into the portal first. That’s the nice thing about my lack of presence.” The demon shrugged, a slow roll of his t-shirt-clad shoulders. “Sorry, kid, but you’re stuck with me.” He didn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “Unless you want to send me back, now.”

Kuroko had spent too much time and effort this time around. He didn’t know if he had the endurance to go through the whole rigmarole again. The demon probably knew this as well.

“No, you’re staying.” He tried to sound more confident than he felt. “I want you to help me defeat the Generation of Miracles.”

The demon frowned. “I’ve never heard of them. Are they some street gang? Did they burn down your house and kill your parents?”

“They’re my last basketball team.” Kuroko couldn’t deny that it was somewhat refreshing to talk to someone who had never heard of his teammates, although it did feel sort of strange. Then again, he supposed information on Japanese junior high basketball was low on the priority level from whichever plane of existence the demon came from.

“A bunch of kids? If you want to defeat them, why can’t you just get a gun-”

“I mean using basketball.”

“Okay, let me get this straight.” The demon rubbed his forehead. “You summoned a potentially extremely dangerous creature to make a high-stakes bargain with, so that they could train you in basketball.”

“Do you want to make the bargain or not?”

The demon made a thoughtful noise. “Perhaps that should be my own question. Here’s my deal: I help you defeat your Team of Miracles or whatever. In return, when that’s done, I’ll take your lack of presence from you.”

Everything about this meeting was going in directions Kuroko hadn’t anticipated. “I thought the standard price was my soul?”

“Geez, just because I’m a demon doesn’t mean I don’t have my own moral scruples. I don’t want your twelve-year-old soul. At least your lack of presence might actually be useful to me.”

“I’m fifteen,” Kuroko said, a little snappishly. “And we have a deal.” He stuck out his hand into the circle.

The demon took it, and shook.

It seemed like a normal, solid handshake until the inside of his wrist started itching fiercely. A circular seal briefly glowed white on both his and the demon’s wrists before sinking into their skin and disappearing, along with the circle of runes on the floor.

Kuroko released the demon’s hand; it was uncomfortably warm and solid. “What is your name?”

“My name? You can call me Mayuzumi.”

Human and demon observed each other for several long seconds.

“You’re not going to ask me mine?” Kuroko asked, when it appeared that Mayuzumi was not going to reciprocate.

“I already know yours. Kuroko Tetsuya, right?” Mayuzumi seated himself on Kuroko’s bed and made himself comfortable.

Kuroko stared at Mayuzumi. “How did you know?”

“It’s written on your books, Kuroko- _sama_.”

"Don’t call me that.”

Mayuzumi just blinked grey eyes at Kuroko and didn’t respond. If Kuroko had ever heard an insolent silence, that was it.

Kuroko had the uncomfortable feeling that he’d bitten off more than he could chew. “You know, you act more human than I would have expected.”

Mayuzumi shrugged again, propping his chin on his hand and staring at Kuroko from under his lashes. “We all have to start from somewhere. Where do you want to start your basketball, Kuroko- _sama_?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments & kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> EDIT: The wonderful [Tamireli](http://tamireli.tumblr.com/) drew some fantastic art of this chapter! (screams internally) [Go check it out!](http://basketballpoetsociety.tumblr.com/post/111457755842/challenge-no-111-rarepair-battle)


	2. E is for Exercise and (over)Extertion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Crossposted from tumblr](http://basketballpoetsociety.tumblr.com/post/122645557228/challenge-no-131-e-is-for-exercise-and). Originally posted for Team Battle on BPS.

“I need to find somewhere to put you, first,” said Kuroko, glancing around his room. “My parents will be home any minute.” Curtains? Wardrobe? Under his bed? “You can’t make yourself go invisible, by any chance?”

Mayuzumi shook his head. “My weak presence doesn’t extend that far,” he said, and offered no further information.

His room was out of the question, then, although it probably should have been off-limits in the first place. Kuroko could feel the demon’s eyes on him, watching him go through all the entries in his mental inventory of places to hide a demon.

Apparently taking pity on him, Mayuzumi sighed. “I’ll be fine on the streets.” He crossed the bedroom in a few steps and opened the window, judging the distance from the second storey to the ground.

It took Kuroko a second to stop weighing up the benefits of his garden shed and react. “That doesn’t sound very comfortable. Besides, how will you know if I want you?”

“I’m a demon. I know how to take care of myself.” Mayuzumi met Kuroko’s eyes and Kuroko looked properly into them for the first time. Even from across the bedroom, he could detect flickers of chaos, barely suppressed, behind the grey irises- a reminder that he wasn’t just dealing with an eccentric human. He would need to keep that In mind.

“How will I call you to me?” Kuroko asked again, switching his gaze to the open window behind Mayuzumi.

Mayuzumi rested a hand on the windowsill and looked away, but Kuroko could still see the sardonic curl of his lip. “I’m obligated to come, aren’t I, Kuroko- _sama_?” he said, and vaulted out the window.

There was a quiet thump below. Kuroko rushed over and peered out- maybe to demand a proper answer, and check if Mayuzumi was okay. But the demon was already strolling down the sidewalk, snatching a hoodie out from thin air and disappearing into the darkness as he passed under a streetlight and entered the shadows.

A car door slammed shut. “Tetsuya?” his mother called from below. “What are you doing? Close the window, you’ll catch your death of a cold.”

“Yes, mum.” Kuroko closed the window gently then sat down heavily on his chair, staring at the dip that Mayuzumi had left in his duvet. Cold-related deaths didn’t rank awfully high on his list of current concerns.  
  


* * *

  
 “I’m leaving now.” Kuroko shut the door behind him. His mother had watched him leave the house, basketball under one arm. She hadn’t said anything. Perhaps she was quietly glad that he’d seemed to have forgiven basketball; she had looked concerned when he’d come home, sombre and unresponsive after Teikou’s final, awful victory.

He wasn’t entirely sure if he’d forgiven Teikou’s basketball, exactly. It was pointless to forgive a beast for acting according to its nature. But it felt good to be finally doing something about it, for a change.

The basketball court was empty, which wasn’t anything out of the ordinary this time of the morning. It was a good thing. He still didn’t have much of an idea on how to summon Mayuzumi again, so his best shot was-

“Mayuzumi?” he called, feeling a little foolish. “Mayuzumi, are you- where are you?”

A passing breeze rustled through the surrounding trees. A bird chirped, then fell silent. In his defense, it sounded like a better idea in his head. Perhaps he should wander around the neighbourhood instead. Mayuzumi probably wouldn’t have gone too far last night. “Mayuzumi?” he tried again, just in case, before turning to leave the court.

“You’re going to give me a headache at this rate,” a low voice complained.

Kuroko spun around quickly and backed up a step. He didn’t think he jumped. “Is once enough, then?”

Mayuzumi looked no different to the day before, save that he was holding a light novel in one hand, and was looking a little more irritated. “Once is too much.” He held the hand with the novel up and swiped his thumb across his wrist demonstratively.

An itch crawled down Kuroko’s right wrist towards Mayuzumi, like a spider darting across his skin. He held back a shudder even though it disappeared as soon as he looked at Mayuzumi again. “I see.” He copied the gesture.

Mayuzumi’s thumb twitched. “I take it you called me here for basketball.” He tossed the light novel onto the bench without looking. “Well, show me what you’ve got.”

 

Some while later, Mayuzumi crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re appalling at basketball, even for a human.”

Kuroko looked up from where he was collapsed on the court, wheezing. “You didn’t have to take the entire morning to work that out,” he finally managed. Talking was suffering, but at least he wasn’t throwing up.

The demon shifted his weight, looking as if he might just walk away. Instead he sat down on the bench and started flicking through his light novel again. “I’m not surprised your team disliked you if you played like that for them.”

“I was a passing specialist. A one-on-one isn’t the best way to showcase what talents I have.” Kuroko rolled over and stared past Mayuzumi’s head at the empty blue sky.

“So? Your basics are shit. You’ve got a long way to go before you can defeat anyone.”

He was right, of course, but it still wasn’t a pleasant thing to hear. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“I am at your service, Kuroko- _sama_.” said Mayuzumi, carefully monotone, and turned a page of the novel.

Kuroko shot a pointed look at Mayuzumi, but he didn’t react. “Then coach me.”

Mayuzumi put the light novel down again and rose. “What are you waiting for? Or do you want me to spoon feed you, as well?”

What an asshole. “Fine,” Kuroko ground out, rolling back over and onto all fours. The sudden movement made his head spin and his arms almost buckled under him.

Mayuzumi tsked. Kuroko waited for another verbal jab. Instead a hand seized him by the scruff of his t-shirt and pulled him up off his hands and knees. The concrete moved away from him and he felt himself dangling in the air before Mayuzumi set him down on the bench.

“We’ll continue this later.”

“No.” Kuroko gritted his teeth and lurched to his feet, defiantly meeting Mayuzumi’s eyes.

“Absolutely not. You’re in no shape at all-”

“I’m fine. Teach me.”

“Just look-”

“Am I your master or not?”

Mayuzumi twitched like he’d been slapped, and he looked at Kuroko with so much loathing that he was almost afraid. “As you command, Kuroko- _sama_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments & kudos are always appreciated!


	3. F is for Failures and Filching from bookstores

That first training session had ended with Kuroko pancaked on the asphalt again, too tired to even pant. The late afternoon breeze was refreshing, but Mayuzumi had dropped the ball and left the court before Kuroko could summon up the strength to breathe extra-loudly in protest. Not that Kuroko had expected a friendly farewell; during the rest of the afternoon, Mayuzumi had only spoken to Kuroko to criticise every aspect of his playing in short, clipped sentences.

 

It had been almost a week since Kuroko had last seen Mayuzumi. It wasn't like Kuroko was avoiding Mayuzumi, per se, he just wasn't able to meet up with him again. He'd been so sore the next morning that when he'd stumbled down the stairs to breakfast his mother had checked to see if he was ill, and it had taken him several agonising minutes to get back upstairs afterwards.

Then the weather had thrown a tantrum just when he was beginning to sit up without his stomach muscles protesting. The sky had cleared up now, as if it hadn't been chucking down buckets days before, but Kuroko just didn't feel like going out. He reasoned that other people would probably be using the street courts already by this time of day, so there was no point.

Okay, so maybe he had been avoiding Mayuzumi a little bit.

It wasn't as if the matter concerned anyone else, but he couldn't hide away in his room forever. Perhaps a visit to the bookstore was in order. Being around books had always gentled the knots in Kuroko's shoulders and distracted him from moping. He might even have enough pocket money to buy the next in his favourite series; it had saved up since he'd stopped going to the konbini every day after practice—

The memories ached, as tangible as any muscle pain. Kuroko bit his lip and closed the door behind him gently before he took off at a run for the bus stop.

 

* * *

 

The bookstore was a welcome respite from the afternoon sun as well as the stress of starting at any head of grey hair that entered his vision while on the bus. He knew he was being irrational; Mayuzumi would probably try to avoid being crammed into public transport, but a bus really wasn't the place for any sort of disagreement they might get into. 

Kuroko nodded to the proprietor, just in case the dozing gentleman had seen him, and headed straight for the section which held the detective serials. Their covers, glossy in all their newness, called an irresistible siren song to him.

It was his lucky day. The newest installment of a series he was following lay unshelved on a middle shelf, carelessly placed by interest-turned-indifference. The spine made a delightfully crisp noise when he opened it gently and began to skim through it, though skimming turned to reading, and then to spell-bound rapture.

 

Kuroko had gotten half an hour into the book before a shifting of his weight made his legs protest. It occurred to him then to check for money so he could buy the book, but his search only uncovered lint and his bus card. With a pang of regret he recalled his wallet, still on his desk and untouched in his haste.

One last, longing gaze at the gleaming cover, and Kuroko went to put it back in its proper position. This was, unfortunately, well above his head. Still, he strained. The dark gap lay just out of his reach, the book's edge fitting in for only brief, taunting instants.

From behind him came a sigh. Before Kuroko could look over his shoulder, someone took the book out of his hand and shelved it, quick and precise.

Kuroko turned, slowly, so he didn't accidentally bash his saviour in the solar plexus. "Thank-" he began.

Mayuzumi was arched over him, hand resting on the bookshelf above Kuroko's head. He looked much the same as he did the last time Kuroko saw him- which was to say, unimpressed and irritated.

"-you!" Surprise turned Kuroko's gratitude into something that sounded more accusatory than he felt.

They stared at each other for a moment; Kuroko could only hope his own expression was as impassive as he wanted it to be. He breathed, with some effort. Something about this set him on edge, even more so than Mayuzumi coming at him with deadly intent on a basketball court.

"Can you do _anything_ on your own?" Mayuzumi let his hand drop down and took a step back.

Kuroko's impending feeling of claustrophobia submerged, though he could still feel it lurking under his thin veneer of calm. "Would you like a list? I can read, for one thing."

Mayuzumi's gaze skimmed over the shelf behind Kuroko. "Murder mysteries. Deep stuff for a twelve-year-old."

"Unlike your own choice of literature?" Kuroko nodded at the light novel in Mayuzumi's other hand. It had a different cover to the one from the week before.

"They're an easy read." Mayuzumi started walking out of the bookstore. 

"I don't doubt it." Kuroko followed him, stopping when Mayuzumi paused briefly to grab another light novel from the display by the door. He began to turn back to the counter but Mayuzumi kept strolling straight out the door.

 

Kuroko's feet tripped over thin air and he had to jog to catch up, grabbing at Mayuzumi's sleeve. "You're not going to pay?"

Mayuzumi tugged out of Kuroko's grip as they stopped on the sidewalk. "Why would I? Do you think I have money just lying around?"

"Then you shouldn't take them, if you can't pay." Kuroko made to grab the books, but Mayuzumi vanished them and his hands closed on nothing.

"Don't preach to me, I know what stealing is."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Did you honestly expect my morals to align to human ones? I can tell you that bowing to human whims and wills is not part of them." Mayuzumi stared down at Kuroko, daring him to disagree, and Kuroko felt it again, a fear that stirred and held his ribcage in a vice grip.

He forced himself to inhale normally. "It's not only about morality, it's also illegal."

"Human laws don't apply to me. If they don't like it, they can find a demon embassy and complain."

"I don't like it, so I am complaining. I would pay, but I forgot my wallet."

"Why are you trying so hard to convince me?" Mayuzumi scowled. "Lesson number one, Kuroko- _sama_ , you can't expect to change people's natures so easily."

A scoreboard full of ones flashed in Kuroko's mind, then a bridge and a downpour. "I know," he said distantly. "But I can still try."

Mayuzumi peered at him. "Well, if you don't mind exerting useless effort. Which probably explains why you still want to play basketball."

Kuroko knew a subject change when he heard one, though he resolved to bring up the shoplifting later. In silent synchronisation, they merged back into the flow of the afternoon foot traffic. Kuroko intended to find a bus stop and catch a bus back to his house. He didn't know about Mayuzumi, and wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"I did some research and looked up that basketball team of yours," said Mayuzumi abruptly.

"And?"

"You're screwed. That last game..." Mayuzumi's forehead creased. "It reminded me of things my kind would do as well," he said, finally.

Kuroko still felt a curl of defensiveness rise before he squashed it. "You underestimate humans, I think."

"So did you. Or, rather, you overestimated them."

"Do you blame me for wanting to change the way they are?"

Mayuzumi shrugged. "I'm not here to give you divine judgement. Do what you want."

They walked in silence for a little further.

"I don't know if I want to change them," Kuroko said. "I just want what we used to be."

"That's foolish. Making things back to what they were? That's even harder than changing people."

Kuroko didn't look up at Mayuzumi. Beneath the disdain he could hear veiled pity in Mayuzumi's voice, which was, perhaps, worse than his spite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

  **.** : **BONUS:.**

"How did you get to the bookstore, by the way?" Kuroko asked when they got to the bus stop.

Mayuzumi looked at him. "The bus," he said, just as the bus pulled up. "You didn't think I walked here, did you?"

"Don't you have some arcane magic or something?"

"Like I'd use it for something as mundane as this."

Kuroko dug for his bus card, and when he looked up again Mayuzumi had stepped away from his side, and was looking at the bus. "Mayuzumi, what are you doing?"

With a leap that defied his human appearance, Mayuzumi landed lightly on top of the bus and sat cross-legged.

Kuroko stared. He glanced to his left, then his right. No-one was muttering about the weird guy who'd just jumped onto the bus roof.

"You're going to miss the bus if you keep gawking," Mayuzumi called, then pulled a light novel out of the air and began to read.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, an update. I marvel at my timing though, [let us all appreciate this official art that was recently revealed. ](http://www.namco.co.jp/tp/j-world/news/001103.html)  
> Comments and kudos are appreciated, if you'd like to leave them!


End file.
